Flight Instruments

Question 1

What is the Altimeter?

Answer 1

A device which senses the normal decrease in air pressure that accompanies an increase in altitude.

Question 2

Altimeters are calibrated to ISA, True or False?

Answer 2

True

Question 3

If local pressure and temperature gradients do not follow ISA assumptions, errors can occur. True or False?

Answer 3

True

Question 4

What is the VSI?

Answer 4

The vertical speed indicator?

Question 5

What does the VSI show?

Answer 5

The rate of climb/decent in feet per minute.

Question 6

How many feet is the VSI dial calibrated in?

Answer 6

100ft/minute (up or down)

Question 7

Due to lag in the instrument, several seconds of steady climb/descent or level flight must elapse before an accurate reading is displayed. True or False?

Answer 7

True.

Question 8

What is an ASI?

Answer 8

An air speed indicator

Question 9

What is the white arc for?

Answer 9

Flap operating speeds

Question 10

What is the green arc?

Answer 10

Indicates normal operating speeds.

Question 11

What is the yellow arc?

Answer 11

Caution

Question 12

What is the red sash on the ASI?

Answer 12

Never exceed

Question 13

How does the ASI measure your speed?

Answer 13

Measures the difference between static pressure (usually from a sensor not in the airstream) and dynamic pressure received from the pitot tube

Question 14

When the aircraft isn’t moving the pressures are equal to?

Answer 14

Zero and is the airspeed

Question 15

Pitot =

Answer 15

Static + dynamic pressure

Question 16

By subtracting static pressure, the ASI can indicate the speed at which the aircraft moves through the air.

Answer 16

True

Question 17

What errors does the ASI suffer from?

Answer 17

Instrument
Position
Density
Compression

Question 18

What is compression error?

Answer 18

speeds of 300+kts suffers effects of compression

Question 19

What is Density error?

Answer 19

Air Density decreases with altitude. As aircraft climbs there is less air pressure in the pitot tube. Therefore, reading of airspeed decrease with height(although aircraft may be traveling at the same speed through the air)

Question 20

When are IAS and TAS roughly the same?

Answer 20

Near sea level

Question 21

What are Position errors?

Answer 21

When the pitot isn’t getting air in. Pitot should always point directly into relative airstream.

Question 22

What are instrument errors?

Answer 22

Instruments have small imperfections caused by friction/mechanical. Corrections can be applied by reading off a correction table.

Question 23

What is a Mach Meter?

Answer 23

A device used to show a Mach number

Question 24

The speed of sound is directly related to the temperature of the air through which it travels.
True or False?

Answer 24

True

Question 25

What errors instruments are used in combination for the Mach meter?

Answer 25

ASI and Altimeter

Question 26

What errors does the Mach meter suffer from?

Answer 26

Same as the ASI and Altimeter

Question 27

What is inertia?

Answer 27

The tendency of the gyro to keep a fixed position in relative space

Question 28

What is precession?

Answer 28

When a subjected to a force, the gyro acts as though the force has been applied at 90 degrees to the rotor, at a position 90 degrees forward in the direction of rotation of the rotor

Question 29

What does the turn and slip indicator utilise?

Answer 29

The gyros property of precession ( when it is tilted it turns) it can be set up to react to a turn

Question 30

Define a Rate one turn

Answer 30

Described as 3 degrees/second 360 degrees in 2 minutes

Question 31

If the balance ball rolls in the opposite direction to the turn it indicates a?

Answer 31

Skid

Question 32

If the balance ball rolls in the same direction as the turn indicator it indicates a?

Answer 32

Slip

Question 33

The artificial horizon employs the gyro property of inertia. True or False?

Answer 33

True

Question 34

The artificial horizon’s gyro is tied by gravity to keep the same position relative to the centre of the earth. True or False?

Answer 34

True

Question 35

What is a flight director?

Answer 35

An artificial horizon with command bars

Question 36

Will pilots use the AH/FD with other equipment and which ones?

Answer 36

Yes VSI Altimeter

Question 37

What errors does the flight director suffer from?

Answer 37

When accelerating indicates a small nose up indication A similar effect is observed in a tight turn

Question 38

Does the magnetic compass require external power?

Answer 38

No

Question 39

Does a magnetic compass suffer from deviation error?

Answer 39

Yes

Question 40

What causes deviation error?

Answer 40

Suffers from a/c electrical equipment, metal structure, rotating propeller. Iron metallic components.

Question 41

What is deviation?

Answer 41

The error induced in a compass by local magnetic fields; creating compass north.

Question 42

Compasses are checked at what degree increments?

Answer 42

30 degrees

Question 43

How is deviation minimised?

Answer 43

Compass correction card

Question 44

What is dip error?

Answer 44

Compass aligns itself with earth’s magnetic field. At or near the equator. Aircraft nears either magnetic pole s and the lines of force dip into the ground. Compass needle points down instead of staying near the horizon

Question 45

What is acceleration error?

Answer 45

Occurs during airspeed changes and is most apparent on headings of east and West.

Question 46

What does ANDS stand for?

Answer 46

Acceleration north, deceleration south

Question 47

What is the Gyrosyn Compass?

Answer 47

A combination of a gyro and magnetic compass

Question 48

The gyroscope is continuously aligned with magnetic north by a magnetic flux detector. True or False?

Answer 48

True

Question 49

What causes Position errors?

Answer 49

When flying at low airspeed/ high AoA